So? That something is predictable does not make it ethically right. That Epic could predict Apple enforcing its monopoly does not make it right for Apple to have a monopoly.

I think you two generally agree that this is a bad thing from Apple & Google

Never said it was ethically right, just that Epic are up to something.

Epic is also not ethically right. They shamelessly make their money on minors and pretend to do good for the gamers.

I completely agree there as well. I am not in any way defending Epic's use of in-game gambling. If Epic gets Apple's monopoly removed, that is a good action, independent of their immoral actions in other spheres.

What's wrong with that? Besides, how Epic makes money is irrelevant to this discussion. Your statement is blatant whataboutism.

(FWIW I despise many of Epic's decisions, particularly their hostile attitude towards Linux as a platform, so no, I'm not biased towards them.)

It's not irrelevant when you start argueing about being ethical.

Besides that, Epic themselves play Gatekeeper through the Epic Game Store and pay big money to ensure they are the Gatekeeper (excluding retail and other platforms), made on kids by loot boxing them.

There's a lot of research on the negative impacts of loot box systems and children and I think it's a worthy topic to mention when Epic tries to take the moral high ground of David fighting Goliath.